Cecelia Yauger

GROVE CITY — Preliminary results of an audit of credit card bills of the Midwestern Intermediate Unit IV's former executive director may be ready for the agency's next board meeting, but they won't be released to the public.

In addition, the MIU IV solicitor Timothy McNickle said Thursday he told Grove City Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Education's Office of the Inspector General on April 30 about the irregular charges. Federal agencies were alerted because the MIU IV receives federal grants.

Cecelia Yauger of Grove City resigned April 24 as executive director after a right-to-know request filed by a Pittsburgh attorney disclosed a pattern of questionable charges on the MIU IV American Express card she'd used since 2007.

The audit, which is confined to the credit card bills, began about two weeks ago McNickle said.

“We hope to have preliminary findings shortly,” he said, but he plans to wait for a final report from the auditors before he shares information with the public.

“I don't want to speculate,” he said.

The MIU IV board will meet at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Grove City offices.

Boardman, Ohio-based Hill Barth & King is doing the audit.

The firm is examining Yauger's use of the credit card, McNickle said. The auditors are comparing credit card charges against her work schedule calendar and the vendors where purchases were made, he said.

Charges to the credit card were paid by the intermediate unit's business office.

McNickle said he has not heard from any law enforcement agency regarding an investigation.

“I have not followed up,” he said. “I gave them the information necessary to begin their investigations.”

Robert Kochems, Mercer County district attorney, said his office had not been officially notified about an investigation of Yauger's activities. Normally, his office confers with police after an investigation, when charges can be filed, he said.

Antoinette Oliver, the attorney who filed the right-to-know request, has not responded to requests for comment.

Yauger had been the executive director since July 2007 and earned $124,840 annually. As a part of her resignation, she acknowledged that she would make restitution to MIU IV. In addition, she released all claims against the intermediate unit, McNickle said.

Whether Yauger will receive retirement benefits through the Public School Employees Retirement system will depend on any criminal charges she may face, said Evelyn Tatkovski, retirement system press secretary. The Pension Forfeiture Act lays out that information, she said.

The MIU IV board appointed Angelo Pezzuolo of New Castle as interim executive director. He held the post from 1992-2007, when Yauger was promoted. The search for a new executive director is under way.

MIU IV is one of 29 regional education agencies under the state Department of Education. It uses tax dollars and applies for grants to run education programs in 27 school districts in Butler, Lawrence and Mercer counties.